Ronda: OUCH!

My arms have hurt since Monday night, and it makes me feel like such a weakling. Especially since Kerri did the same exercises as I did and she seems to be moving along just fine! I had a tough time today doing some of the things that require upper body strength. I guess whatever Angela is having us do is working, because even into our 5th week, I'm still getting sore muscles.

I don't think I have lost any weight and haven't stepped on a scale since we started. I do feel good, though. I feel a lot stronger and I'm proud of myself for getting out of bed at the crack of dawn to make it to the workouts.

Now, I really need to get serious about eating the right things. I have a hard time doing that this time of the month... DEADLINE! It gets pretty stressful around the office and I'd love to have a handful (or 10) of m&m's at my desk to munch on while I'm working. I haven't had any yet this month, but I sure think about it.

Kerri: "Are we in shape yet?"

We're midway through Week 5, and although I had fantasies of being down by at least 10 pounds by now, I know that's not my reality. I am, however, starting to feel the effects of our workouts (other than sore muscles!). The soreness isn't lasting as long, I'm paying closer attention to my diet, and I can absolutely feel my muscles getting stronger. Angela was kind to us today and let us do a lot of stretching. She also impressed me with her detective skills - during one exercise, she noticed that I wasn't landing the right way on my feet. "Do you wear high heels at work a lot?" Hello, I'm five-foot-one... of course I do! Well, apparently that tightens up your calves, so I'll do a little extra stretching as homework.

It's a heck of a lot easier to put on the weight than it is to take it off... but I'm encouraged to be feeling some progress. The big test is next week, when we'll have our measurements taken again. I'm crossing fingers and toes that I've burned off at least a little bit of body fat during this adventure.

Yvonne: Being Aware…

The reason anyone makes a change in their life is to first be aware that there is a need. I feel that with my body composition for years I was a talking head. Didn't feel anything below the neck… like it didn't exist. Well, I know I was shutting myself off and not wanting to feel anything. I think that happens to many people. When you are in a fitness program especially with a personal training they train you to feel. From your psychological to your physical. When you move and work parts of your body you start to stand up straight, hold in your belly, hold your head high and quite often you are taken more seriously. 

Also being aware of why we over eat or are less active from a psychological level is one of the steps in making change to become healthy. We are starting an "I will" concept of positive reinforcement self talk. The exercise, if you will, is to say 7 times a day your personal positive affirmation, because that is what kicks your brain in gear. One of mine is "I will be strong and active". I would love to be known as a strong and active woman… Again being aware is what helps to make change in your life. (Amy: you inspire me, thank you!)

I will be the change I want to see in the world! - Yvonne/Ghandi : )

Yvonne: Feel the Difference…

We are on week three of  our Dear Joe project and I am starting  to really feel my motivation kicking in! I think it takes a couple of weeks to get passed the "can I do this"  and on to the "yes I can". It is a pleasure to put my fitness into the hands of such professionals. I am a big "E" television fan and when watching the Oscars pre-show they talked about how the celebrities get their body ready for the show. When viewing some of the training techniques I noticed they are the same techniques used by our trainer "Amy". Just call me Jessica Biel. She really  focuses on large muscle mass and one thing I have noticed right away is how much stronger I feel. Climbing stairs, running to basketball games, grocery shopping, cleaning house, simply "Keeping up with the Mazzotta's" crazy schedule… everyday activities are becoming much easier to handle. Now, I bet the celebrities can't say that. 

Thank you Amy for the encouragement and Joe for the opportunity! 

Here we go!

Thanks to our personal trainer, I am now certain that I have muscles. The reason I know this, of course, is that every single one of them hurts.

But this is not the place for whining. (OK, maybe it is...sometimes.) My friends at Enjoy and I are doing something that feels fantastic, even when it hurts - we're doing something to improve our quality of life. In the 10-plus years since my first child was born, I've stayed at home with my kids, I've worked part-time, I've worked full-time, and I've worked full-time AND part-time. In every stage, I have had a series of what sounded like great reasons not to exercise regularly. With three kids, a self-employed husband who works a bazillion hours a week, a full-time job and a busy freelance career, who has time? Come to find out, I do. I get up a little earlier and go do it. It's inspirational to have a supportive workout buddy in Ronda and a friendly trainer at a welcoming gym. It's encouraging to have a husband who volunteered to take over my share of the "kid duties" on those three mornings a week that I'm at the gym. And it feels good to be setting a good example for my children - to show them that fitness is important, and that it's not selfish to take care of yourself.

Thanks for joining us on this journey.

Week 3

Today marks the beginning of week 3 with our trainer, Angela. I'd like to say it gets easier, but it certainly wasn't today! I felt like I was going to pass out about 20 minutes into our workout. I think it may have been from all the cardio we did. 

I haven't been nearly as sore as I was the first week and a half. After the first week, I was sure I wouldn't be able to do this because I could barely walk! Now, at week 3, my confidence and muscles are beginning to feel much better. 

Gonna Make You Sweat!

Most of us have safely tucked away our failed New Year’s resolutions to dust off once again next January.

But four members of the Enjoy team are jolting life back into that age-old “get in shape” resolution with the help of Adamson’s Peak Performance. Publisher Yvonne Mazzotta, photographer and sales representative James Mazzotta, managing editor Ronda Ball and writer/copy editor Kerri Regan have embarked upon a six-month training regimen with the goal of losing weight, gaining muscle mass and getting healthier.

All four participants are busy parents with demanding careers, and they hope that improved fitness will give them more energy for their fast-paced lives.

Joe Adamson, the owner of Adamson’s Peak Performance, assigned personal trainers to work with the foursome to reach their goals. “They’ll have that accountability, education and the extra push to stick with it,” Adamson says. “We want to help them reach that optimal health and fitness – but fitness isn’t just a workout. It’s got to be fun. We hope that our friendly, welcoming atmosphere makes them more likely to come here in those precious morning hours.”

“The beauty of this little leap into the health world is that we are all in it together,” Yvonne says. “It allows us to support, laugh, make fun of each other – and because we are all coming from the same place, this will be the key to our success.”

You can follow the foursome’s successes and struggles on this blog.